News & information

16 Feb. 2018: In what is turning out to be a severe flu season in North America, the latest data show the vaccine at 36% efficacy, which is better than predicted.

30 Nov. 2017: The 2017-2018 flu season is shaping up to be a bad one. The vaccine strain mutated during egg culture so that it was only about 10% effective in the Australian flu season; the vaccine we get in North America for this season is the same as the Australian strain.

27 Sept. 2017: Chemokine in the news: The chemokine CCL11 (also called eotaxin-1) was found at increased levels in the brains of former football players with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, but not with Alzheimer disease.

10 Sept. 2017: Giant drug and vaccine maker Sanofi is discontinuing work on its Zika vaccine. Partly due to federal government budget cuts, and partly due to decline in concern about the Zika epidemic, which seems to burning out as the herd effect takes over.

12 July 2017: An advisory committee to the FDA today unanimously recommended approval of the Novartis product tisagenlecleucel, which is a first for a CAR-T, orchimeric antigen receptor T cell. Patients' T cells are isolated from their blood and engineered to express an antibody receptor. Approval is for use in refractory or relapsed B cell acute lymhphblastic leukemia. We'll discuss this in week 12.

6 July 2016: An advisory committee to the CDC concluded that the nasal flu vaccine, FluMist®, has been essentially ineffective for the last 3 years. The CDC recommends against its use in the 2016-7 flu season.

The course last ran 29 August to 28 November 2017.
Tuesdays 1-3 PM (1300-1500 h)

Students in a degree program are enrolled by that program; we'd be grateful if you emailed us to tell us you'll be joining us (since we don't find out any other way until late in the process). Non-degree students (PRAs, for example) need JJ Cohen's permission and signature to register; please drop him an email. The forms for you to register are on line; click Prospective Students, then Apply and then the CU Anschutz Non-Degree Students button.

Auditors are welcome, also with permission; please let JJ know your interest before the course starts.

IMMU 7630 is a course in human-based immunology designed for graduate students, clinicians, and others who are not necessarily immunologists. It considers the broad sweep of immunology and its relationships to other disciplines, focusing on ideas and concepts more than details. Sufficient clinical examples are included to establish relevance, and widely-used immunologically-based methods are discussed. We practice clear communication by constructing and maintaining a blog to which we all contribute. These course notes serve as our textbook. Scroll down for pdf files of each Unit, which corresponds to about an hour of class. Look at the files and decide if you want to print them in B&W or (expensive) color.
This site is continuously revised and updated.Crucial advice: Always read the notes before coming to class!

There's no required text. If you want to consider buying a text, click here for 2017 recommendations.Essential to read: Syllabus, with rules, course organization, grading, schedule, and advice: You can download a hard copy.
Students requiring special accomodations: speak to JJC, and click here.
Information about UCD faculty and staff tuition waivers here.